Second lap of Europe to revive touchy issues

WASHINGTON {AP} On his second European trip in five weeks, President Bush hopes to rally the world's richest nations to fight AIDS, poverty and economic isolationism.

He will test his charm when he sees Queen Elizabeth II and Pope John Paul II, and will rally U.S. troops in Kosovo.

But he will not be able to dodge some of the thorny issues that hampered his first overseas visit: missile defense, global warming and the gnawing perception among U.S. allies that Bush ignores their pleas with a go-it-alone foreign policy.

To French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine, it is a "unilateralist mindset."

"We must hope that this trip ... will help the American administration evolve toward more negotiating and openness to our points of view," Vedrine said before the president's seven-day trip  beginning Wednesday  to Britain, Italy and Kosovo.

Unlike that first trip, when Bush toured five nations in five days, the president is easing his way into action. He arrives in London on Wednesday night and gets some sleep, then goes sightseeing Thursday before meeting the queen and Prince Philip at Buckingham Palace.

That evening, he meets with Prime Minister Tony Blair at his country estate, Chequers.

Though the closest of U.S. allies, even Britain declined last week to support setting aside the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty to make way for Bush's missile defense system.

The issue will shadow Bush the next three days in Genoa, Italy, where he attends a summit of the world's seven wealthiest nations, plus Russia.

Because many oppose his missile shield plan, Bush hopes to shift focus to:

AIDS. An international AIDS fund, started by the United States with a $200 million pledge, could top $1 billion after donations from other nations and groups are combined at the summit, according to administration officials speaking on condition of anonymity.

Poverty. The president's national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, said the AIDS proposal is critical to alleviating poverty in developing countries. The United States is expected to also push for an increase in World Bank grants, as opposed to loans, for nations in need.